The present invention pertains to a process for preparing polymers from one or more .alpha.-olefins or mixtures thereof with other polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers.
Most slurry processes for preparing .alpha.-olefin polymers usually produce a reactor effluent containing polymer, diluent, catalyst and unreacted monomer or monomers. Conditions usually exist such that polymerization of the monomer or monomers continues after the reactor system. However, a post reactor formed polymer is usually produced which results in a heterogeneous polymer composition having the disadvantage, when the resultant polymer is employed in film and blow molding applications, of providing articles having gel particles randomly present therein which both weaken and cause a displeasing appearance in the articles.
Processes have been proposed to eliminate the formation of the heterogeneous polymer by employing various catalyst poisons or deactivation agents.
The present invention solves this problem by adding hydrogen to the effluent from a reactor system employing one or more reactors in a quantity sufficient to eliminate or reduce the formation of gels in articles fabricated from the resultant polymer. This method permits the recycle of any unpolymerized polymerizable monomers since no catalyst poison is employed.